How to Notify Aviva of a Death: Insurance Bereavement Guide 2026

How to notify Aviva of a death — step by step

1. Use Aviva's online notification form

   Aviva's ‘notify us of a bereavement’ page carries a form that starts the process for Aviva products generally, without you having to call. It is the route to use if you are not sure which Aviva products the person held.

2. Or call the right line for the product

   Aviva's freephone number 0800 015 1142 (Mon–Fri 8am–6pm) is for a pension or savings product. For other products, Aviva's bereavement help pages give 0345 268 2194, Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm, closed at weekends and on bank holidays. Motor, home and other general insurance policies are dealt with by their own teams, which Aviva will route you to.

3. Give the details of the person who died

   Aviva asks for their full name, date of birth and address, and for your details and your relationship to them. A policy number helps but is not essential — Aviva says it can usually find the customer's records without one.

4. Send the documents Aviva asks for

   Aviva says it may need further information as the notification is processed, such as details from the death certificate or from the grant of probate. What is needed depends on the product and the value involved, so wait to be told rather than sending everything upfront.

5. Claims, cancellations and the estate

   For life cover, Aviva will open a claim. A policy written in trust pays the trustees or the named beneficiaries and does not form part of the estate, so probate is not needed for it. Policies that are simply no longer needed — home, motor, travel — are cancelled, and Aviva will confirm from when. An annuity stops on death unless the policy included a dependant's pension or a guaranteed payment period.

What documents does Aviva need?

• The deceased's full name, date of birth and address
• Your name, contact details and relationship to the person who died
• Policy number, if you have one — Aviva can usually trace records without it
• Certified copy of the death certificate, if Aviva asks for it
• Grant of probate or letters of administration, if Aviva asks for it

Have multiple certified copies of the death certificate ready. Banks and financial institutions each require an original or certified copy — you cannot usually pass a single copy between organisations. See our guide to how many death certificates you need.

How long does Aviva take?

Aviva does not publish a processing time, so we do not give one. Ask when you notify them, and ask for a reference so you can chase it.

Accounts or services are usually frozen until the estate is administered, which means no new transactions can be authorised.

Aviva publishes no end-to-end timescale for settling a claim, so the figure above is indicative only. Aviva is a large group and the same customer may hold a pension, an investment and general insurance on separate systems, so check that every product has been picked up. If the death has been referred to a coroner, a life claim may not be settled until the coroner's paperwork is available.

What happens after you notify Aviva?

Once Aviva receives your notification and confirms receipt, the account or service will be frozen and no new transactions will be authorised. Estate administration can then begin.

Aviva will confirm receipt of your notification and advise you of any next steps required to close or transfer the account or policy. Keep a record of all correspondence and reference numbers for the estate file.

What cannot wait